Sen. John McCain told CNN that the results of Iran's recent elections are 'very disappointing…but not astonishing.'

(CNN) - Arizona Sen. John McCain responded sharply Monday to the disputed election result in Iran showing victory for Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, calling the whole process "corrupt" and questioning the legitimacy of the current investigation into the matter.

"It's very disappointing ,of course, but not astonishing," McCain told CNN Monday. "The Muslim cleric extremists control the political mechanisms of Iran and it's not encouraging in a year that the ones who perpetrated this fraud are now going to be in charge of the investigation."

"I hope that we can succeed in our relations with Iran, but this is not a good sign and we should speak out strongly in opposition to what was clearly a corrupt election," said McCain.

The comments come after three days of unrest that prompted Iranian authorities to launch a probe into Friday's election result showing an overwhelming victory for Ahmadinejad over reformist Mir Hossein Moussavi.

The incumbent claimed 62 percent of the vote, prompting suspicion at home and abroad, particularly among Western countries already at loggerheads with Ahmadinejad over an Iranian nuclear program they fear is non-peaceful.

McCain's comments go significantly further than those of the Obama administration, which has not directly called the vote result a fraud but has expressed "concern."

"I think there are a number of factors that give us some concern about what we've seen," White House spokesman Robert Gibbs said Monday.

soundoff(150 Responses)

John Starnes Tampa Florida

So where was McCain's outrage when the US elections in 2000 and 2004 (first time ever that UN elections observers were BANNED from the US) were tampered with by the NeoCons, which is what GOT us into this historical mess?

June 15, 2009 01:04 pm at 1:04 pm |

MIke T

Well well well, McCain Finally said something almost all of us can agree with!!!!

June 15, 2009 01:07 pm at 1:07 pm |

Gary in VA

Who cares it's not our affair. Deal with whoever is there. We are not in the position to pick the leaders of other countries.

June 15, 2009 01:08 pm at 1:08 pm |

Susan

so? what should we do then?

June 15, 2009 01:09 pm at 1:09 pm |

no need to know

i agree

June 15, 2009 01:11 pm at 1:11 pm |

Independent_me

Well – didn't we do the same thing when our Supreme Court gave the presidency to George Bush? This is the example that we gave the world...now we just got to reap what we sowed...

June 15, 2009 01:11 pm at 1:11 pm |

Mick

Corrupt and illegitimate "elections" in a third-world dictatorship? No!!! Really?!!

June 15, 2009 01:11 pm at 1:11 pm |

Ted

It would certainly be disappointing if that little hardliner jerk, Ahmadinejad was re-elected. Moussavi would be much better and we would be able to let diplomacy get to the root of the nuclear issue. You could liken this Iranian election to the election of 2000 when the Supreme Court elected a little hardliner jerk in this country.

June 15, 2009 01:12 pm at 1:12 pm |

Sylvia

I am so glad McCain is not president otherwise he would be sending tanks to Iran to fight this election fraud.

June 15, 2009 01:12 pm at 1:12 pm |

Randolph Carter

You know, if you put a big floppy hat on McCain, he'd kind of resemble Schlepprock. Wowzy wowzy woo woo! (You youngsters can use google to find out who he was) Have a nice day!

June 15, 2009 01:12 pm at 1:12 pm |

Frank

Mr. McCain,

We have Better Things to Do and more Important Issues to take Care of, than to Worry about Iran Elections. Let Iran go to Hell. If you are so concerned of Iran and Iranians, go and Live there.

You Republicans Focus on Insignificant Issues rather than Important Issues. That is the Reason Republicans Screwed up in the Last 8 Years.

For once I agree with McCain 100%. The Iranian theocracy is totally corrupt, and we in the west shouldn't give them the time of day.

Let's do what we can to support the people who are fighting for change over there.

June 15, 2009 01:13 pm at 1:13 pm |

Moderate Democrat

The only election that was MORE corrupt, was the one where YOU were allowed to run for President, traitor McCain.

PS: Go back to Nam and do some more anti-america radio dj'ing for them, you TRAITOR!

June 15, 2009 01:13 pm at 1:13 pm |

J.P.

What, was ACORN working in Iran as well? ;)

Come on, libs... you know that was funny. You know you love me.

June 15, 2009 01:13 pm at 1:13 pm |

KayMA

I agree with McCain and the majority of the world... definitely something wrong going on. Over the years I've lost some faith in the integrity of the elections of the Middle East.

Though, there's always the possibility that everything was honest and Iran was stupid enough to put this guy in 'office' again... I doubt it though.

June 15, 2009 01:13 pm at 1:13 pm |

The Other Michael in Houston

Of course they are corrupt. All of you jokers are corrupt

June 15, 2009 01:14 pm at 1:14 pm |

bill b. from Stratford,Ct

Like a Republican, he knows about rig elections. Can some one say 2000 election in Florida and 2004 election in Ohio when Bush and his thief stole both election. republicans are good at rigging election, just look at the things they were doing in the 08 election, you name it, they tried it, to oppress peoples votes in this country but it didn't work this time.

June 15, 2009 01:14 pm at 1:14 pm |

John Zweifel

I bet John McCain would like the Iranian vote counters!!!!

June 15, 2009 01:15 pm at 1:15 pm |

Ken

He should know. He was recently the leader of the most corrupt election machine in recent history.

At least the Iranians know they got screwed. There are still bunches of people in America who are so deluded that they think Bush won fair-and-square in 2000.....and just to put an exclamation mark on their stupidity, despite all the sad and irrefutable evidence of the abject failure that followed, these same people are still glad he was coronated!!!

Don't believe me? Read the vacuous comments from all the neo-morons that are sure to follow! They will not be able to stifle themselves when they realize that the Iranians are noticably smarter than they are!

June 15, 2009 01:15 pm at 1:15 pm |

Pluto

My guess is that Cheney used to have a 'hotline' to al-Qaeda that he used to set up the 9-11 attacks, and that without the hotline his terrorist allies won't believe the orders come from him. He's using the media to send frantic 'attack, attack' messages to bin Laden, but bin Laden didn't think we'd actually go through with attacking Afghanistan.

June 15, 2009 01:15 pm at 1:15 pm |

dominican mama 4 Obama

Iran held their elections. Iranians have a problem with the "results". I propose that we, as a nation, for once mind our own business. Yes we can make a comment via the White House WHEN we've learned all of the details. I applaud and concur with President's Obama's approach when he says that it is best to talk when one knows what one is talking about. All of these "political pundits" (translation: those that have nothing to lose) are trying to push a premature response from the president. In this as in any part of the world, we need to realize that our imperialistic foreign policy has been to our detriment. It is their country, we should speak only if we are spoken to.

June 15, 2009 01:16 pm at 1:16 pm |

Dutch/Bad Newz, VA

Although i didn't vote for you McCain, thanks for calling a spade a spade.

Seeing how Ahmadinejad will retain power and Iran's ambition for nuclear technology continues unabated – now is the time for Israel to act for their own National Security interests.

Vile anti-semtic rhetoric + nuclear weapons = bad news for Israel

June 15, 2009 01:16 pm at 1:16 pm |

Pat F

Of course it was corrupt. Iranian democracy is now three times a fraud.

Firstly, the candidates have to cleared by the unelected Supreme Council – 4 were selected out of 400.

Secondly, the president is completely subservient to the unelected Grand Ayatolloah.

Thirdly, the vote was a joke – the reformer's numbers actually DECLINED as the count went on, and millions of hand ballets were instantaneously counted.

As North Korea dares the Obamessiah to stop it from weaponizing plutonium, and Syria continues to foment death, destruction and misery in the Middle East – I guess the AXIS of EVIL really is evil, isn't it?

Yet another ocassion on which Bush 43 was CORRECT!

June 15, 2009 01:17 pm at 1:17 pm |

Carl

News flash to the naive people reading this:

I would bet all elections have had some fraud in all countries.

I believe each major election we have every four years runs rampant with fraud, and I believe the one in Iran is no different.

You're telling me a few hundred million votes can be counted in a few hours with near 100% accuracy? GIve me a break. It's a dog and pony show. You have two options, both of which are usually the same person.

Its why the founding fathers never wanted a democracy in this country. It's why the word isn't even mentioned in our Constitution. People use that word like that's the ultimate form of government.... how wrong you are.